Game developer Wargaming returned to Gamescom 2025 bigger, louder, and more spectacular than ever. The showcase featured the games World of Tanks, World of Warships, and the new title Steel Hunters—culminating in a 90-minute live performance by Swedish power-metal band Sabaton. The show on August 21, 2025, fused heavy metal with armored warfare imagery, turning Hall 1 at Koelnmesse into a cauldron of sound and energy. In addition to the on-site audience, 25 million viewers followed the performance via livestream. The set delivered not only fan favorites but also an exclusive preview of the Legendary Tour, which kicked off in November.
GLP as the Show’s Visual Backbone
For the powerful, highly detailed lighting aesthetic, lighting designer Bertil Mark relied on a robust setup of high-performance fixtures from GLP: 24 JDC2 IP hybrid strobes, 16 MATRIX Eye 2 units, and 20 MATRIX Eye 4 units crowned the already high-energy performance with equally commanding visuals.
GLP’s new MATRIX Eye 2 and MATRIX Eye 4 LED blinders played a defining role in shaping the show’s visual language. Featuring an RGBAL LED engine combined with GLP’s innovative iQ.Gamut color algorithm, the fixtures deliver powerful color output alongside high-quality white light with excellent color rendering. Authentic tungsten emulation and an exceptionally smooth, flicker-free dimming curve provided precisely the kind of controlled punch required for Sabaton’s dynamic stage presence. The modular frame system allows for flexible row or cluster configurations, while high output and an IP65-rated design ensure forceful, tightly controllable blinder effects on any stage.
“For this specific Sabaton show, I was looking for even more punch—and I found it in the MATRIX Eye Blinders and the JDC2 IP,” says Bertil Mark. “What really impressed me was the dimming behavior of the blinders: they dim extremely smoothly yet still deliver enough punch to clearly cut through the overall picture. That’s exactly what you need for a band like Sabaton.”
An evening likely to stay with fans and gamers alike: Sabaton delivered a commanding performance. Wargaming provided the platform. And GLP made sure the show’s energy was not only heard, but unmistakably seen—maximum punch, delivered through powerful and striking lighting effects.
Photo Credit: JENSTHEPANDA
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